Makinen Gets Monte Carlo Rally Win

Published
7:00 pm EST, Thursday, January 24, 2002

Four-time world champion Tommi Makinen of Finland was awarded victory in Sunday's Monte Carlo Rally when Citroen and its driver Sebastien Loeb of France withdrew their appeal over an illegal tire change.

FIA, the governing body of world motor sports, announced the withdrawal Friday and said that a two-minute penalty added to Loeb's overall time would stand.

Loeb finished the Monte Carlo Rally 45.9 second ahead of Makinen in a Subaru. With the two-minute penalty added, Makinen finished with a time of 3 hours, 59 minutes 30.7 seconds. Loeb finished in 4:00:44.8.

The victory in the first race of the season put Makinen atop the overall standings with 10 points followed by Loeb (six), Carlos Saniz of Ford (four), Colin McRae of Ford (three), Marcus Gronholm of Peugeot (two) and Petter Solberg of Subaru (one).